“I became an activity director in a senior living community because I love paperwork!”

This likely isn’t a sentence you – or your colleagues – would ever say. There are many rewarding parts of being an activity director, like helping residents adjust to their new communities, build lasting relationships with neighbors and staff and of course, pursue their passions and learn new skills.

Filling out forms, meeting notes and surveys likely isn’t the best part of your job. Still, paperwork is essential for every activity director.

Keeping diligent records of resident behavior, participation and feedback will help you improve your activity program. You’ll understand which activities are successfully engaging your residents – and which ones aren’t. You’ll have a grasp on whether the senior living technology you’re incorporating is making an impact. Best of all, you’ll be more deeply connected to your community because you understand how residents are interacting with your program and their neighbors.

Activity directors will want to focus on the most helpful forms in order to save time for important tasks like planning and executing your activity sessions. We’ve compiled a list of five forms that are a must-have for your senior living community.

The 5 Forms Every Activity Director Needs

Templates for all five of these forms are available on the Eversound Members Portaly, a helpful online tool that helps activity directors fill their calendars and simplify the paperwork process.

Program Participation Form

Activity directors have to keep a watchful eye on their residents during activity time. The Program Participation Form allows ADs to track each resident’s behavior during the session. Were they engaged or withdrawn? Did they leave the session early or invite others to join?

Understanding these behaviors can help you determine which activities are most effective for engagement and inclusion.

Resident Program Evaluation Form

ADs don’t just have to rely on their own eyes. A Resident Program Evaluation Form lets residents submit their own feedback on a certain activity, be a guest speaker, an art class or a board game night. Offer easily answerable questions (from 1-10 how much did you enjoy this activity?) with space for open ended responses with additional feedback.

Both of these first two forms allow you to maximize your activity budget with the programs your residents most value.

Resident Council Meeting Notes

Some activity directors will be tasked with facilitating meetings for their community’s resident council. It’s important to have a form that allows you to document the residents in attendance, major talking points and next steps. This will help the council maintain progress and track key initiatives that are important to the community.

Resident of the Month

Everyone loves to recognize their peers and learn more about their neighbors. Activity directors can start a “Resident of the Month” Campaign, and unveil their nominee at the start of activity time. That resident could potentially then lead an activity that aligns with one of their passions.

It’s helpful to build a simple template in a Word document that allows you to consistently recreate the award month to month.

Eversound Program Evaluation Form

The Eversound wireless headphone system includes headphones and transmitters that connect at a range of over 300 feet without the need for wifi or cellular data. Residents experiencing hearing loss will immediately feel more connected to your staff and neighbors when using the system. Eversound is especially useful for activity sessions, but also helps with prospect tours, therapy sessions and more.

This particular form will document which activity you used Eversound for, the ease of execution and overall resident enjoyment.

How the Eversound Members’ Portal Helps Activity Directors

Activities like games, crafts and social groups do more than keep seniors occupied. These programs are responsible for up to a 30% decrease in cognitive decline in residents 70 and older, according to data from Reuters Health.

Activity directors have a full plate; handling paperwork while planning lessons, speakers and activities that appeal to the myriad interests of residents can be time-consuming. The Eversound’s members portal – available to any community with an Eversound wireless headphone system – is a great resource for activity directors.

The portal compiles 100s of activities so that you can fill up your activity calendar with ease. Within the portal, you’ll find:

  • Downloadable templates for paperwork, activity packets and calendars
  • Guided programs for “set it and forget it” activity planning
  • Access to a network for activity directors through our member Facebook group
  • Professional development courses for your entire staff
  • Product support and training for easy onboarding with staff and residents

All of this is available for free when your community purchases an Eversoundwireless headphone system. Get in touch with our team today to see how Eversound’s purposeful technology can bring inclusion, accessibility, and engagement to your community. On average, one month’s rent from a net new rental pays for an entire year of an Eversound membership – which includes access to our members portal.